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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Resigned Marine faces raps for complaint v. military
MANILA -- Military officials threatened to file charges against Marine Colonel Orlando de Leon who resigned from the Marine Corps last week citing the "politicization of the military" as his main reason.
In a press briefing, Armed Forces public information office chief Tristan Kison said de Leon, erstwhile Marine chief of staff, might be charged for violation of some provisions in the Articles of War.
Kison said it was not right for de Leon to distribute copies of his resignation letter to members of the media who were covering the launching of the second impeachment complaint due to be filed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo next week.
In the letter dated June 15, 2006, de Leon said he "deemed it befitting to resign in a situation when truth is buried under a blurred and vague interpretation of the significant events in the history of our beloved Marine Corps."
De Leon also said that "technicalities and politics" now dominate and cloud the real goals, objectives, and missions of the military and that "survival and threats" now reign over the principles and honor of many officers.
Before copies of the letter were distributed to members of the media last Monday night, it was forwarded to the office of Marine commandant Nelson Allaga, who presided over a ceremony installing Lieutenant Colonel Armando Bañez as de Leon's replacement also that day.
"First of all, he made public the letter in a forum that is not a forum of the Armed Forces. He made it public at a campaign for impeachment; it is not a proper venue," Kison said of de Leon, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1982.
"The proper venue of airing grievances in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is the unit, is his own unit which is the Philippine Marines. If you would like to resign, you present (your) resignation letter to your commander not to the media," said Kison.
Kison said it would be up to the Marine leadership to act on the case of de Leon. "If the commander feels that the Articles of War are applicable, then he will file he necessary, appropriate charges," said Kison.
When told that de Leon first furnished Allaga with the letter before the document was distributed to media, Kison said: "Whichever, that (media) is not the right forum."
De Leon is on floating status and is being groomed to become the chief of staff of the Naval Education and Training Command.
Marine spokesman Ariel Caculitan said de Leon was ordered relieved by Allaga for reasons he refused to elaborate. He said the prerogative of commanders to relieve officers could not be questioned.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon, a former Marine commandant and Armed Forces chief, said he was aware of the plight of de Leon, whose schooling to Virginia was canceled by higher authorities due to a pending investigation against him.
Biazon said de Leon is under investigation for the failed coup last February 24 and for the February 26 standoff at the Marine headquarters, which Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin led.
When asked what exactly caused the resignation of de Leon from his post, Kison said: "There are so many conflicting reports but at this point we cannot make any confirmed statement about what really happened."
Reporters tried to call de Leon for details of his resignation but he refused to pick up his phone. A journalist sent a text message to de Leon received a reply that said: "I am sorry, I can't talk right now, I hope you understand."
At the Senate, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile downplayed de Leon's resignation saying it will not cause military junior officers to revolt against the government.
"One colonel complaining will not mean the government being toppled. No way. The government is not that brittle. Even (the) Oakwood (mutiny) efforts did not topple a government," he said.
Enrile, former defense chief during the Marcos regime, said the government should look into the grievances of de Leon.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said de Leon's resignation only showed that politics has indeed corrupted the military and it is to ensure that the Arroyo administration will stay in power.
"De Leon's lament bespeaks of the sad state of the way the military, in general, has been politicized and misused for the attainment of the personal ends of the powerful," Pimentel said.
The senator said the statement of the Marine Corps official is "validated by the continuing abuse of power, plunder of the economy, and disrespect for the Constitution by the administration of President Arroyo." (VR/REC/Sunnex)
(June 22, 2006 issue)
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